With the weather slowly becoming warmer, plants starting to flower, and trees beginning to grow their leaves, one can easily tell that spring is here!
March is the ultimate bearer of the beautiful spring season, but at the same time, it’s also a very important month for pets and pet owners. Do you happen to know why?
For those who might not know, March is National Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month, which presents an ideal opportunity for veterinary professionals to create awareness and educate people on pet poisoning, its symptoms, and how to prevent it.
At the same time, pet owners need to know exactly what causes pet poisoning, its common signs, and symptoms and how to prevent it from occurring.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Pet Poisoning
Most of our pets are highly curious creatures, and truth be told, their curiosity can often lead them to trouble. But, at the end of the day, our pets are such an integral part of our family, and it’s the ultimate duty of pet owners and parents to keep their pets from harm and danger.
From consuming chocolate to accidentally swallowing human medications, numerous factors can lead to pet poisoning. The resulting symptoms are often quite similar in both cats and dogs, to take an example of two common household pets.
So, keeping in view that it’s National Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month, as pet owners, we must be able to look out for common signs and symptoms of accidental pet poisoning in our furry friends.
Signs That You Should Watch Out For
If you are afraid that your pet has been poisoned, here are some of the first few most visible signs that you will be able to notice:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Nose bleeds
- Lethargy
- Seizures
- Inability to urinate
- Blood in stool
- Irregular heartbeat
- Excessive panting
Pet Poisoning Symptoms
The symptoms of pet poisoning majorly depend on the underlying poison and the ways in which it affects their functioning of the body.
However, there are some common occurrences caused by poisoning that you should look out for:
Signs of Gastrointestinal Poisoning
- Nausea
- Drooling
- Hyper-salivating
- Excessive vomiting
Signs of Internal Bleeding
- Collapsing
- Racing heartbeat
- Coughing out blood
- Vomiting blood
- Increased lethargy or weakness
- Pale gums
Signs of Liver Failure
- Jaundice
- Yellow discoloration in gums
- Dull mentation
- Low blood sugar
- Diarrhea
- Melena
- Poor coordination
- Fluid in the abdomen
- Excessive drooling
- disorientation
Signs of Kidney Failure
- Decreased appetite
- Decreased urination
- Absence of urination
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Halitosis
- Excessive thirst leading to increased urination
The severity of pet poisoning comes down to the quantity of a particular substance that they’ve ingested or inhaled and how it affects your pet’s body.
As mentioned above, poisoning can lead to numerous gastrointestinal, neurological, respiratory, cardiac, kidney, and liver-related issues. In worst cases, it can even lead to coma and death. This is primarily why pets need to be kept away from all those harmful substances in the house that threaten their health and wellbeing.
Top Sources of Pet Poisons
Taking immediate action if your pet is poisoned is one thing, but what’s even more important than that is pet owners should be aware of the sources of pet poisons so that they can keep them away from their pets’ reach.
Take a look at some of the most common sources of pet poisoning so that you know exactly what to keep away from your pet.
Medications for People
The medicines you take might be effective for you, but they can be extremely harmful to your pets. Some of the most common medications that are destructive for your pet include antidepressants which can cause vomiting and seizures, inflammatory medications like ibuprofen, which can lead to kidney failure and stomach ulcers, and isoniazid, which is a tuberculosis drug that can cause seizures and coma in pets.
Food for Human Beings
Every time you sit down for lunch or dinner, your pet dog or cat might sit in your lap and look at you with adorable eyes because they want a bite of your food. As tempted as you might be to give them a bite, you could actually be putting their life at risk if you do that. There are some foods that are just harmful to pets, no matter how much you enjoy them.
Some common human foods that are dangerous for pets include chocolate, grapes, onions, avocado, xylitol, alcohol, and macadamia nuts, to name a few.
Household Cleaning Products
Many cleaning products typically contain bleach which is one of the most leading causes of pet poisoning in dogs and cats. If your pet ends up consuming a cleaning product by accident, it can result in serious problems in the stomach and respiratory tract.
Household Plants
As much as you love watching your pet play in the garden or the yard and as much as they enjoy their playtime, it’s important for pet owners to know that there are some plants that are extremely poisonous for dogs and cats, which could possibly be found in your garden.
Some examples of poisonous plants include azalea, tulip bulbs, daffodils, ivy, hemlock, daylilies, and asparagus fern, among many others.
These plants can result in serious issues like seizures, heart damage, convulsions, vomiting, diarrhea, liver failure, stomach problems, and potentially even death.
Keep Your Pet Out of Harm’s Way!
While pet owners should always go the extra mile to keep their pets safe and healthy, March calls for special awareness and caution, given how it is National Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month.
Your pet is a part of your family, almost like your child, so all pet parents must keep poison-causing substances away from their pets and keep a lookout for possible pet poisoning signs and symptoms.
In case of accidental poisoning, make sure not to waste a single second and call for help immediately to prevent the poison from spreading in the body and causing other serious health issues.
